02 October 2008

Darryl Stephens Talks "Noah's Arc" and Coming Out to "Instinct"

Actor Darryl Stephens is the cover feature of the October Instinct. At six pages, Jim ver Steeg's profile is probably one of the magazine's more in-depth recent cover features. There is also a smart fashion (and shirtless) editorial lensed by photographer Peter Brown. Kudos to Instinct for its third major cover feature in the past 18 months that featured black gay personalities.

“We had seen other gay shows
where the straight actors who were playing gay got a lot of the credit
for doing all the work and for being braver actors. We were all just
trying to avoid that,” Darryl says. But they were also trying to avoid
adding to the challenges already felt by many in the industry. “I think
as black actors we are all aware of the fact that the roles we are
allowed to play are very limited. To step up and say “I’m gay” makes a
lot of other doors close, too.”

It would be interesting to hear if publicly coming out has helped or
harmed Stephens' career. Judging from the roles he has chosen—Noah's Arc, Boy Culture, Another Gay Movie, Ugly Betty etc—there doesn't seem like the potential for a career backlash. It may actually have helped. Stephens says his sexuality "has never been any big mystery or secret" and takes particular aim at "gay bloggers" who tried to make it an issue.

[C]ritics have wasted little time and a great deal of bandwidth to point
out that Darryl has not shouted his sexuality from rooftops. “I’ve read
a lot of very negative responses, not necessarily to my work, but to my
choices, from gay bloggers,” he says. “There is a lot of hypocrisy in
the criticism from the people who just don’t know what it’s like to put
yourself out there. It’s fucking scary. It’s not like sitting at home
on your computer.”

Darryl Stephens makes a valid point about privacy and self-identity, but, the larger point remains unanswered: Was it ironic that for a show that was considered "groundbreaking" for its portrayal of black gay characters and issues, with the exception of Doug Spearman, the black gay actors refused to come out? What message did that send to the "community? Perhaps we should pose these questions to actor Rodney Chester who "hosted" several black gay awards events and still denies he is gay.

Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom will be available in limited release on October 24. An excerpt of the interview with Darryl Stephens is availble at the Instinct website.

Why do say that Darryl was "playing himself"? In what? Did you see him in "Boy Culture" or in the screen tests for "Noah's Arc". He tested for the part of Wade. He was very good and butch. For the part of Noah-- Darryl portrayed him with a strong feminine flair. Obviously, that's how he and Patrick Ian Polk envisioned the character: a fem gay male.

Okay Derrick, you make some good points. Darryl is a decent actor but the show had many potholes. That being said, if the strongest appeal of the show and movie is to "support the community", it begs the question, why didnt Darryl, Rodney, Christian etc come out during the show?

Its hard to tell other people to come out and you wont come out yourself. But if you're worried aout "limited roles" okay ...

Being a black actor is limit. When you want to make the big bucks like Will Smith you get an arrange marriage or constantly act-like your dating females like Justin Timberlake. I don't blame him for not coming out because he wants to make the most of his career and money-wise. Consumers do not take gay actors acting str8 seriously.

I never cared for "Noah's Arc" because it was so girly-woman which supported the stereotype. And they wonder why gays can't get str8 roles, ain't that sum shhh! I've seen many episodes of the show... watched the marathon on Logo... so don't think I just looked at one show.

As far as seeing a "very butch" guy (Atwood) with such a fem-broken wrist character (Noah) doesn't seem believable. As it was written on paper as fiction it was definitely a fantasy to me.

The reason some people loved this show so much, at least the femme queens loved it, was because it was the antidote to the DL. The boys were girls and queeny and all had hot butch BFs. This rarely happens in real life. If anything Wade and Trey would more likely to be BFs.

This movie is more of the Prince Charming fantasy for those femme queens in Alabama.

seriously, decent interview. but, darryl isn't a decent actor and he hasn't bother to parlay his "starring" role as Noah on "hit" tv show Noah's Arc into anything substantial...a bit part in anthony mackie's latest project?

a part as "Waiter Number 2" on Ugly betty? really? that's nothing...

he should have negotiated a recurring role on Grey's Anatomy or ABC Family's Greek, etc.

basically, darryl got caught up and believed this show was going places..it didnt, and neither is his career.

and anti-believer is right: the show reinforced stereotypes of black gay men and didnt do much to challenge them....

I'm not quite sure I understand that statement, Anti-believer. Homosexuals (some of whom were self-indentified as "gay") have been playing straight roles since the beginning of theater.

When you first saw Paul Winfield play the father in "Sounder"--did you know he was gay?

"As far as seeing a "very butch" guy (Atwood) with such a fem-broken wrist character (Noah) doesn't seem believable"

No, I haven't seen too many couples who fit the "Noah/Wade" mold--NOT LONG TERM COUPLES. But I've seen and experienced many short term (or one night stand) butch/fem relationships.

And guess what? I believe all that super macho "down low" stuff you see in black gay "thug" pornography is a crock of you know what also. But it appears to be the most popular sexual fantasy among black homo/sgl/gay men.

It's all right. We all have our fantasies, Anti-believer. What we get in real life may not satisfy many of us.

The show was good for what it was good for. It was just television - what TV show REALLY depicts everybody's idea of reality? Not many white women buy $800 shoes on the regular (Sex and the City) and not every black person comes from a long line of college-educated professionals (Cosby), and not every black family is struggling in the hood (Good Times) but its entertainment and there are many people who can relate to them. It just depends on who is watching. TV shows can't be all things to all people folks.

Personally, I'd rather see Noah's Arc than the DL, self-hating homos hiding in the dark that mainstream shows and films depict all the time. (One of those cops shows devoted an entire episode to the DL phenomenon ...) I think the idea of happy, well-adjusted gay people is frightening to a lot of black gay men, and I think it is sad. If it's unrealistic for these so-called femmes to be with "masculine" men, then it's even more unrealistic for these "masculine" black gay men to be portrayed as out and proud. I can count the ones I know on one hand.

The posts I see on boards like this highlight how limited our thinking is a community and how little we really think of ourselves. It disturbs me ...

"The boys were girls and queeny and all had hot butch BFs. This rarely happens in real life."

I guess it's an age thing, or maybe a military thing, but back in my day, the 80's, all queeny guys all had butch BFs or only hooked up with butch trade. Many sailors and marines loved them pretty fem boys, and sometimes were a little too aggressive in pursuing them.

you said, "Homosexuals (some of whom were self-indentified as "gay") have been playing straight roles since the beginning of theater."

we're talking about television and films not theater. He or anyone can be as "queenie" as they want to be on and off broadway cause it's the norm but a gay person can't be out from "day one" to play a str8 character cause studios, casting, directors, etc. looking for the one will bring in the most money.

Umm: A television series about "happy and well adjusted black gay men" and only one actor has the honesty to be out? I don't think so. I will take your advice and look at the show and movie for pure entertainment value. They surely can't expect to be taken seriously with that record.

Shade Tea is 100 percent right. What roles did Darryl go for? He only takes parts in gay film and television.

I haven't seen any if the actors take off. Poor Jensen Atwood has gone from Halle Berry to Dante's Cove.

Sorry Derrick but the str8ish muscle boys usually like each other. I think you and Anon have a point tho about how it used to be. But times are changing.

At least Noah and Wade had chemistry even though their "romance" is far fetched. Alex and Tret had ZERO chemistry. They didn't even kiss. Oh but I am so sure Jensen Atwood and Gregory Keith would be hot for each other in real life.